The Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate's decision to allocate a lump sum of $30,000 to Programming Board will this year increase the board's financial autonomy and alleviate its chronic financial troubles.
Programming Board is an umbrella organization that includes the Class Councils, Concert Board, Entertainment Board, Tufts Film Series, Tufts Lecture Series and Tufts University Spirit Coalition (TUSC), among other student groups.
Programming Board restructured its constitution this semester in an effort to simplify budgeting, according to Programming Board Co-Chair Sarah Habib. The Senate's decision to allocate buffer funding, which finalized at its first meeting on Oct. 3, comes from the desire to sufficiently fund operations at Programming Board's many large-scale events, including Spring Fling.
The conversation about allocating additional funding to Programming Board goes back to last semester, around the same time the organization began to restructure its constitution, TCU Treasurer Kate de Klerk, a junior, said.
"We are very lucky to have a great relationship with Senate," Programming Board Co-Chair Adam Fischer said.
The allotment to Programming Board is in addition to the group's annual budget of approximately $500,000, according to Habib.
"In the last few years, activities and events have been underfunded," she said. "We moved Winter Bash off-campus, so it costs more to secure a location [and] pay for security. Students should not have to suffer because of underfunding."
De Klerk said that costs of Programming Board events are difficult to estiamte, resulting in end-of-year cost overruns. "Because of the nature of the programming they do, they can't plan it in advance," she said.
"The $30,000 that the Senate approved was passed in order to allow Programming Board to put on large-scale events that were otherwise under-budgeted, such as Winter Bash and Spring Fling," Fischer said.
Habib said the new Programming Board constitution eliminated sub-group constitutions within the Board and created a single, all-encompassing budget. The changes will take effect next semester.
"Our hope is that it empowers them to take more responsibility over their funds," de Klerk said. "They'll be able to move money more freely between their subgroups and adjust where it's necessary."
Fischer and de Klerk said that Programming Board has gone to Senate in the past to cover budget shortfalls. Buffer funds come from the $288 Student Activities Fee each student pays as part of tuition.
Fischer praised the decision. "Having $30,000 to dip into without having to apply to the Allocations Board is an easier, more efficient way to get funding," he said.
"We decided that instead of forcing them to come in every year, we would give them $30,000 that they can then distribute over the course of a year," de Klerk said.
Office for Campus Life (OCL) Director Joe Golia agreed.
"For such huge events — NQR, Lecture Series, film screenings — it does not make sense for Programming Board to have to buffer funds each year," Golia said. "This year, [TCU Senate] gave the money up front so we don't have to worry about asking for funds later in the year."
Habib called TCU President Sam Wallis as well as de Klerk "instrumental" in securing funds.
Golia said OCL acts as an advisor for the Programming Board. "Not every student organization is required to have an advisor, but Programming Board needs one due to the nature of the events they host and plan."
The sheer size and number of Programming Board events require administrative support from the university and OCL to help coordinate logistical efforts, according to Golia.
"The student members of the Programming Board are the ones doing the work," Golia said. "We are just here to act as a liaison for campus support systems like TUPD, working with agents for shows, and Alumni Relations."
Events that involve off-campus contracting, like Winter Bash and Senior Week, require collaboration between the OCL and Programming Board groups, Golia said.
"Office of Campus Life does not make decisions; we are just here to back up students," Golia said.
Matt Repka contributed reporting to this article.
